Eagle-Winged Chicken

At eleven, he proclaimed himself a true woman at heart. At twelve, he cut classes for two months and was retained in second year high school. At fourteen, he led his circle of friends into quaffing cough syrup as pastime. At seventeen, he was considered an undesirable student by his teachers. At age twenty-two, he joined the list of the top ranking graduates of a state university. At age twenty-nine, he teaches life.

In the eyes of a stranger, Christopher Espino Getigan is one hot runway star. Air temperature rises as he makes his way through the crowd. His well-toned muscles oozing with meaty goodness fuelled by his beckoning eyes and Latino looks easily blow women off their feet. However, as fantasy switches back to reality, Christopher Espino Getigan turns out to be just a high school teacher, dressed in his usual “barong tagalog” [traditional Filipino male upper garment], walking chin up and chest out in his five-year old black rubber shoes while carrying proudly on his back his sawali-made Ifugao bag packed with piles of papers.

“GTG” / “Great Teacher Getigan” has been a tradition to Philippine Cultural College (PCC) high school students in referring to their Filipino Department teacher Christopher Espino Getigan for six years. “Fun” is essentially the first word that readily escapes the students’ lips whenever asked to describe GTG’s classes. GTG telling stories of his teenage life, sharing random thoughts regarding the previous day’s happenings, announcing how bad his mood is and how it has been spoiled, and cracking jokes are the daily much-awaited parts of his classes, but what endears him truly to his students is his unparalleled diversion from the conventional.

How many high school Filipino teachers have chosen to teach language in the school playground? How many high school Filipino teachers tell their students that whoever catches his saliva receives additional points in the next quiz? How many high school Filipino teachers have dared to question Rizal’s facing towards the firing squad as a natural reaction of the body rather than a symbolic proof of his innocence and heroism? How many high school teachers have dared to sleep in the faculty room amidst all the department heads with saliva dripping down their jaw just because they want to? As far as PCC students are concerned, there has only been one, Mr. Getigan.

If there is an existing belief that good teachers spring from model students, then it is now officially broken because GTG exists.

Growing up in the heart of Tondo, Manila, GTG describes his high school life as the most colourful pages of his book. No different from other public school students, GTG fearlessly lived his days the way he wanted to. He recalls drinking the 120 mL cough syrup popular in his high school as leisure in the comfort rooms or in the building across their Raja Soliman High School with his peers. The floating feeling that the cough syrup let him experience kept him coming back for more. He would also share with his students how he was severely punished by his father when the latter learned of his cutting of classes. His irresistible addiction to Nintendo games cost him to be retained during his sophomore year in high school. Again, during his senior year in high school, GTG was retained simply because he did not feel like studying.

It was during this time that GTG experienced the turning point of his life. Until today, he clearly remembers what his Values Education teacher Ms. Imelda F. Dela Cruz, the only teacher who accepted him into class, had told him: “Walang pwedeng tumulong at magmahal sa iyo maliban sa sarili mo [No one can help and love you but yourself] You have the power to influence other people, Chris. Use that power.” GTG took to heart what his teacher told him and decided to give himself a try. He tested whether his so-called influential power over people really exists. To his surprise, his classmates really followed everything he urged them to do and fully believed every lie he made up in his stories. Indeed, he has the magic. Realizing the truth of Ms. Dela Cruz’ words, GTG embarked on a new life, a life with meaning and purpose. Owing much to Ms. Dela Cruz’ heart, GTG finished Bachelor of Science in Education Major in Filipino as Cum Laude in Philippine Normal University.

Going through the consequences of the mistakes he had done in the past, GTG regrets nothing. On the contrary, he treats these mistakes as lessons in life, which he believes he can use in meeting the challenges of the future. These mistakes have formed the foundation of his principles, which later became the guiding principles of some of his students: “Kung talagang gusto, may paraan. Kung talagang ayaw, maraming dahilan.” [If you really want to do something, there is a way. If you really do not want to do something, there are plenty of excuses.]

Just this June, GTG again received the award for the “Best Teacher of the Year”. However, he refuses to be acknowledged as the best. “All teachers are good in their own ways. There’s no such person as best,” he says, “As long as he knows what he’s teaching, when to teach, when to tell stories, knows the needs of his students, and cultivates the art of self-learning among the students, he is a best teacher.”

Despite offers of greener pastures in Switzerland, GTG dreams of becoming the principal of a rural school one day. GTG is an eagle-winged chicken, able to soar but chooses to remain land-bound.

Student ID# 093782

Candle in the Dark

Caterpillar to butterfly, seed to flower - these natural progressions define Donita Rose Dee Villarama, more commonly known as Donita Rose. She was born to a Filipino teacher and a US air force officer on July 5, 1974 in Utah. She has evolved from the timid young girl in Clark who barely got by in school to an international VJ, TV host and has been proclaimed as one of Asia's most beautiful faces.

It was a Saturday when I went and met up with her in the lobby of her condominium in Ortigas. Two days before my interview with her was her only child's 5th birthday. The date falling on a weekday, Eric her husband, and her, decided to celebrate it on the weekend, on Saturday. Despite all the preparations she has to make for the birthday celebration of their child in their condominium, she opted to spare me some time to interview her.

I stepped into the lobby of the condominium, proceeded to the front desk and stated my purpose. They led me to a couch in the lobby and told me to wait. After about 10 minutes of browsing through a magazine, a tall charming lady in a black t-shirt, shorts and black sandals, disturbed my reading. "Hi, are you Mica?", she asked smiling. Donita Rose wasn't made up; she was simple yet very elegant. She led me to a smaller couch and there we started conversing. Without seeing much effort in her part, she was seated with poise and with both feet on the floor.

Agreeing that many writers have interviewed her more about her stardom life than her personal bio, with no hesitation of "Oh sure!", my interview began about her life outside the limelight. And my short little chit-chat with the famous Donita Rose began.

She chats about her life as a commoner. She expresses that even the hottest, coolest, top-of-the-line celebrities have their share of insecurities and hesitancies. She shares that the worst comment she can receive from fans and critics alike, is when they tell her that she is fatter in person. What keeps this young mom dynamic and functioning is her passion and love for her work coupled with prayers and trust in God. Her advice in overcoming the feeling of insecurity is simple - work hard and put full trust in God. From here, she shares an encouraging bible passage about God being there and giving us a hope and a future.

This versatile actress is socially inclined, an adventurous mom, and a startlingly civic-oriented woman. Her social activeness is of course due to the fact of her being in the glitz and glam of stardom. Ruffa Gutierrez, whom she has known for 19 years, from way back in the set of That's Entertainment, is her social buddy and closest showbiz mate, together with Moe Twister whom she met in college in De La Salle University.

Her venturesome and audacious side is generally with people immediate and dear to her. Her zest for wakeboarding and ardor for traveling are enjoyed mainly with her own family and two other non-showbiz families. These non-showbiz families are who she calls her closest friends and she shares that they do everything together when their schedules permit - be it traveling around the country or abroad, going to the beach, eating steak in their favorite restaurant Mamous in Serendra when their budget allows, or simply taking pleasure in house gatherings and family recreation. This company is not only enjoyed by the parents, she says, but by the kids as well. The age gaps of the children are not far apart, consequently making them best friends too.

She finds great pleasure in her family life. Her five-year old son JP lightens her day with the simplest things while Eric is the ever-supportive reminder that despite her shortcomings, she is appreciated. They both look forward to her cooking which she personally does. She assigns a 'cooking day' where she does all the food for the week. She tries to make herself a hands-on homemaker by indulging herself in daily chores like cleaning the refrigerator, scrubbing the bathroom, washing the van, in spite of the two helpers that she has. She finds time to read bedtime stories to JP before sleeping at 7:30 pm. All of these she fits after her 3 am to 10 am taping schedule for she knows that Eric and JP eagerly await her arrival for family bonding.

Her charismatic disposition and strong drive to help the less privileged youngsters is an infrequent and surprising reality that only a few of the many showbiz stars possess. Most of them quite focus only on themselves and forget that there are others in dire need of their assistance. Donita Rose on the otherhand is more than just your ordinary young actress who is at the peak of her career and whom people think of more as a self-centered entertainer than a giving hand. She is more approachable than people may think she is, and easy to talk to too. In fact, she has a site where you can ask her anything and she replies, not immediately though as she is quite busy running her life too, but she really does and she will.

She has been part of many organizations like Trybe, Shining Light Foundation, and Real Life foundation. She was a volunteer in Trybe, a Singapore-based organization under Save the Children, since it began in July of 2001 and until two years ago when the family left Singapore to reside in the Philippines. She would take the role as spokesperson and host during school tours, camps and major events. Currently, she is an active donor of the Shining Light Foundation that aids and supports financially handicapped missionary parents to send their children to school. She has become part of the Board of Trustees, and has partnered with pastors and missionaries with their ministry in spreading the word of God. Five percent of her income goes to this "giving-back" cause, as she refers to them. It overjoys her whenever she hears success stories about the kids she has helped bring to school. Added to this, she sponsors some days in a Church-related activity of the Real-Life Foundation which conducts a feeding program every Saturday. Moreover, in times when big organizations, like UNICEF, call upon her to host an event, she willingly accepts and does it for free.

Spirited and down-to-earth Donita Rose has proven that she has a big heart for everyone. Hers is an exemplary embodiment of family life, stardom and social awareness. She has succeeded in bringing hope and joy to many. Indeed she is a candle in the dark.

Student # 094151

East Meets West

The Purple Line or more commonly known as the LRT-2 is the second train made by the Manila Light Railway Transit Authority. The line consists of eleven stations. These are Recto, Legarda, Pureza, V. Mapa, J. Ruiz, Gilmore, Betty - Go Belmonte, Araneta Center-Cubao, Anonas, Katipunan, and lastly, Santolan. The Recto station is the westernmost station and is the station where one can transfer to the Yellow Line or the LRT-1. The Araneta Center- Cubao station is the station where passengers can transfer to the Blue Line or the MRT. The Santolan station is the easternmost station. The line passes through mostly elevated tracks, except for the Katipunan station, which lies underground.

For me, the LRT-2 is separated into five divisions:

• the train itself as the blood that delivers the substances that the body needs to the different organs of the body
• the people as the substances that the blood carries
• the stations as the different organs of the body
• the employees as the heart of the line

• the Department of Transportation and Communication (DOTC) as the brain of the LRT system.

The train is the blood that is circulating around the whole body and is passing through the arteries and veins. Without this train, those people who live in the east and work on the western side will have a hard time traveling. The people would enter into the hustle and bustle of the city when LRT's are not around. They will definitely spend not only a lot of money, but also a lot of time and effort just to get to their workplace. In addition, without this train, people will have to go to work using cars, which eventually will cause heavier traffic every day.

The train of the Purple Line is wider compared to the other trains, that is why passengers are not that crowded inside the train; unlike the Blue and Yellow Lines, the people cram themselves inside the train as long as they can find space, no matter how minute it may be. These people are like sardines in a can because the people are squished and can not even move. The LRT-2 also has more safety handrails than the LRT-1 and MRT. This is why I find LRT-2 safer than LRT-1 and MRT. (The LRT-1 is considered to be the first LRT system in Southeast Asia. It can also consists of the 15 km elevated railway system servicing the Taft Avenue - Rizal Avenue route between Baclaran, Pasay City, and the Bonifacio Monument in the City of Caloocan.) (The MRT is not related to the Manila Light Rail Transit System, a separate but linked system. The line passes from North Avenue to Taft Avenue.) The safety handrails of the LRT-2 are enough for most of the people to hold on.

The people or passengers are the nutrients or substances that the blood delivers to the different parts of the body. The people are the reason why the government created the Purple Line. They are the reason why the LRT is functioning. Without these passengers, the entire LRT is useless.

As I had observed while I was standing at the platform, the people waiting for the train looked so bored and tired. A lot of them are listening to their MP3s and chitchatting, others already sit on the floor, while some were pushing themselves for them to secure their place inside the train. They would try to squeeze themselves in front of the long line of eager LRT commuters just to be able to go in first.

The stations are the different parts or organs of the body. These are where people drop off before they go to their respective destinations. The stations are the entry and exit point for the people using the LRT. For the LRT-2, as I had observed, the most crowded stations are the Recto station, Araneta Center-Cubao station, and Katipunan station. For the Recto station, it is because a lot of companies and schools in Manila are in this area and also, this is where the passengers can transfer to the Yellow Line. For the Araneta Center-Cubao station, it is because this where people can transfer to the Blue Line. Lastly, for the Katipunan station, it is because schools in the east are mostly in this are.

The employees are the heart of the LRT system because the heart is the pump, and it is responsible for the nutrient delivery in the body. The employees are basically the workforce of the LRT. Without them, no one would manage the trains and stations and the whole LRT would not be able to work properly. Every time a passenger looks confused or has questions, the employees will voluntarily approach him/her and ask him/her if he/she has questions. I appreciate the way they do this because based on my experiences with other government staffs, every time I have questions and I would like to approach them, they would not even mind answering my questions. They would just ask me to find another staff and ask that person. However, with the LRT staffs, they voluntarily help their customers.

The Department of Transportation and Communication (DOTC) is basically the brain of the LRT sytem. It is the government arm that controls the LRT system. The brain controls the entire body just like how the DOTC controls the entire LRT system. The brain is also responsible of what the body needs. In this case, the DOTC is the one that approves proposals for the LRT system. It is the one that gives the LRT whatever it needs. It makes sure that the LRT system is working properly and that passengers would feel convenient and comfortable using it.

All five of these divisions are needed for the LRT system to be working properly. If one of them is missing, the entire thing will fail to operate. The LRT is like our body, if one of our body organs does not work, our entire body will suffer.

For me, riding the LRT would be the best way to go from east to west or vice versa because based on my experiences, even though there were a lot of people riding it and sometimes you need to squeeze yourself to get in, it will still be the most convenient way of commuting. By riding the LRT, you will reach your destination in a lesser time rather than using private cars because you can avoid the never-ending traffic of the Metro.

Student ID# 090184
EN11- R11

Epiphany

“There is a reason for everything.”

This is the common line told by comforting friends and family members when something bad happens to you. This was what my friends told me as I was breaking down in front of the list of the Top 20 of the batch, the list held sacred by those driven towards academic excellence.

What is an epiphany? The dictionary defines it as a sudden, intuitive perception of or insight into the reality or essential meaning of something, usually initiated by some simple, homely, or commonplace occurrence or experience.

There are a few instances in a person’s life in which they could say that they truly felt God’s presence. I can confidently say I have, and I can remember that experience clearly in my mind.

Last January 23, the School of the Holy Spirit of Quezon City was the venue of a YFC Youth Camp entitled ASTIG: “Ang Sarap Talagang Ibigin si God”. To those unfamiliar with the group, YFC (Youth for Christ) is a Catholic youth organization Their aim is to provide means of renewing young adults and a venue where they can respond to God`s call to holiness through various activities such as praise fests, outreach and talks.

Those who wish to be members of YFC must attend a two-day camp. The camp that I participated in was especially for Holy Spirit students such as myself. The camp consisted of five talks conducted by YFC members, which the participants must complete in order to become full-fledged members of the organization.

The excitement in the air that afternoon could not be more distinct. Despite of it, I could not get over the cloud of despair that hung over me. I just found out that my name was not on the list of top 20 students in the batch. This might be a trivial matter for some, but it came as quite a blow for me. Excelling in my academics has always been my constant drive. Failing to make it in the Top 20 was like losing a part of me. I let my parents down but most of all I let myself down.

It was hard for me to think of anything else, but with effort, I pushed my worries aside. I knew how hard the organizers worked to make the camp a success, seeing that my close friend was the head of the entire event. In the weeks preceding the camp itself, she had been working hard—sending letters to various people for approval, and organizing the service team and the people who will support the camp. As the camp date approached, Denise became more apprehensive about the camp’s turn- out and more importantly, the camp’s success.

In contrast with Denise’s worries, many people turned up for the camp, participants and supporters alike. The night’s activities consisted of group sharings and games with our fellow participants and of course, the first two talks. The first talk was about God’s love and His plans for us. The second was about who Jesus Christ was for us. With that, the first day concluded.

The next day began with the third talk, which was about repentance, faith, healing and forgiveness. All of my worries about my own failures were wiped from my mind as I heard what the speaker had to say. She shared about her own life, about her search for comfort and love, about the mistakes she made, about how she lost her virginity to her boyfriend and about how he left her afterwards. “The first time I shared this was in front of hundreds of people at Miriam’s youth camp,” she told everyone.

Those around me mirrored the look of surprise and disbelief that I wore on my face. I knew that things like that happened, but her revelation made it seem more realistic. My troubles seemed trivial after what she shared.

Then, she took a plastic cup filled with water. “This is how we were born into the world: pure. Slowly, we become tainted by temptation and sin…” she said. She then poured juice into cup and slowly, the clear water became orange.

“…but God’s love is overflowing.”

Many people tried to get this point across to me for years, but it did not make as much sense as it did as I sat there and as I watched her pour more water into the cup until it overflowed. Slowly, the water became clear again.

During the confession that followed afterwards, I was paired with an Australian priest named Father Bryan. An idea had occurred to me and I asked him the question that had been bothering me since the release of the entrance examination results. “Where should I go to college?”

“You should go where you think you would grow as a person,” he had told me, and we talked about my choices. Afterward, I knew which college I wanted to go to. I knew I wanted to be an Atenean.

The most important event of the camp and highlight of the day occurred during the fourth talk, which was about receiving the Holy Spirit. There was an air of anticipation around us. Most of us felt that some rite of passage would occur during the baptism, where we would finally become members of YFC.

Some people were possessed during the baptism, or so rumor has it. We could hear the support team’s prayers and songs in the distance, repelling unknown evils that would try to disrupt the ceremony.

We sat in rows and columns and we were asked to close our eyes. We were asked these questions: “Are you ready to follow God? Are you ready to give your life to God? Are you ready to give everything to God? If so, then stand up.” For a moment, there was silence. The question continued to ring in my ears. The seconds passed by slowly as I contemplated on my answer. I was unsure if I was ready to surrender everything; I was unsure if I was worthy.

I willed myself to stand. Uncertainty filled my heart but I convinced myself I was ready. The sound of chairs sliding against concrete filled the air as other people stood up, in twos and in threes. We were asked to sit down, and once again we were asked the same questions. This time I did not feel as hesitant about my answer. I quickly stood up, and so did others around me. Repeatedly, we were asked the same questions. Eventually, doubt was wiped away from my mind and I became certain of my answer.

During the fifth talk, various veteran YFC members talked about their experiences in YFC. During the worship that followed, I was shouting to the heavens and singing like I had never sung before. The fact that my parents left as suddenly as they had come and did not stay for the blessing, or the fact that they could not understand how wonderful I felt after the baptism did not dampen my spirits. Nothing could have ruined that day for me.

I could say the most remarkable experience I had during that camp was the baptism. In the same way that my baptism when I was a child symbolized my purification, my entrance into the Christian community, and my beginning in the Christian world the baptism in the camp represented my entrance into the YFC community; it became my new beginning.

Something snapped within in me during that baptism. I felt the desire for control leave me and I broke into tears. I found myself recounting my life at that very moment, thanking God for every blessing and obstacle he thrust upon me. I prayed nonstop as the tears continued to flow. It did not make a difference that there were many people there. The only thing that seemed real at that moment was God. Warmth enveloped me, and sense seemed to dawn upon me for the first time in my life.

The stresses of school and of life left me. For the first time in such a long time, I felt at peace. I began to see the world at a completely new perspective. The problems I faced at school and at home did not seem so big a deal. Being removed from the top 20 did not seem that bad; in fact, I felt that a burden was lifted from my chest. For a moment, I was free from my responsibilities. I felt God’s presence, His arms around me in embrace, and His voice assuring and comforting me.

If one event could change a person’s life, if one event could serve as the turning point towards a better future and if one event could better define me as a person, this would be it. This would be my Epiphany.

A Second Family in a Second Home

090658

“ARSA OrSem” is a phrase that not many people outside the Ateneo know. The contraction sounds youthful and somewhat exclusive, which, to an extent, it is. For the most part, however, it is a rite of passage for freshman dormers, which some say is life changing and completely unforgettable.

The Ateneo Resident Students Association Orientation Seminar (ARSA OrSem) is a much-anticipated weeklong yearly event that has become a tradition ever since it was first organized back when ARSA was still called CERSA (Cervini-Eliazo Resident Students Association). Its aims to welcome the freshmen into the ARSA community and to instil three values into each freshman: relationship, discipline, and leadership. These are the three pillars of the ARSA OrSem. This is what being an ARSAn is all about.

In anticipation for the Pre-OrSem General Assembly (POGA), the first official ARSA OrSem event, the freshmen were picked up one evening from their respective rooms by upperclassmen they had never met before. They were then formed into groups composed of two rooms from Cervini (the freshmen boys’ dorm) and two rooms from Eliazo (the freshmen girls’ dorm), two Heroes (a male and a female junior) and at least two Heroes-in-training (sophomores) per group. These groups are known as Freshman Care Committees and are the family units for the duration of the ARSA OrSem.

The 22nd of July was not an official ARSA OrSem date, but that night stands out in many of the freshmen’s minds because of the shock they received. First, their respective Heroes and HITs picked them up from their rooms and ushered them all into a narrow hallway in either Cervini or Eliazo. The freshmen sat straight and still, hardly daring to glance at the people beside them, as a short but very highly intimidating girl or boy screamed out simple instructions on how to make the ARSA ID boards, which would be worn during every ARSA OrSem activity, starting with the POGA. Quite a few people were put off by the screaming. “I really think that the authorities’ yelling at us was unnecessary. They were so angry with us, when we didn’t do anything wrong. They were just telling us how to make our IDs; they didn’t have to yell,” said Rachel Nocom, a freshman.

Any person walking near the Blue Eagle Gym on the afternoon of the 26^th of June would have seen a sea of people wearing yellow shirts, flooding into the gym. This was due to the POGA that took place during that time. During the POGA, the freshmen sat according to their FCC groups and listened to important announcements regarding the ARSA OrSem week. It was a diverse mix of things; there were the Heroes dressed up in costumes to show the freshmen what was expected of them during the ARSA OrSem week, and the authorities made a surprise appearance and once again left the freshmen in a stunned silence.

The ARSA OrSem week was kicked off by a welcome dinner. The girls wore dresses, the boys, button-downs, and were served by the upperclassmen in the Gonzaga cafeteria. The freshmen were bewildered at the sight of the food they were given per table: two saucers of meat, two saucers of vegetables, two whole tomatoes with a saucer of salt, one cup of rice, and two glasses of iced tea. The puzzled freshmen made the most out of it, however. They all made sure everyone had a little bit of everything to eat, sharing with each other freely, even though they didn’t know each other very well yet. As it turns out, this was the whole point of the dinner; to see if they would act as a family. Much to the freshmen’s delight, full plates of food plus dessert were served soon after a short speech by one of the members of the OrSem Core Team.

The next day held one of the most dreaded yet anticipated events of the whole OrSem week: the Amazing Race. All eighteen FCC groups competed with each other to go through all the stops and get back to the starting point as quickly as possible. The most memorable stop: the infamous mud crawl. Everyone had to crawl on their elbows and knees in a shallow ditch filled with muddy water. That whole morning may not have been the most pleasurable experience in the world, but it indeed heightened the sense of camaraderie within each group.

The most distinctive ARSA OrSem event was the five-day long “sigsheet” signing. Every morning, the freshmen would wake up at six and their heroes would give them sheets of paper in which names of upperclassmen were printed. It was the freshmen’s task to get as many signatures as possible from eight in the morning until four in the afternoon. To get a signature, they must first find out the person’s home province, year and course. Most upperclassmen simply sign the sigsheets and let you go, but others make you perform your bang (for boys) or clap (for girls), which is a short song you work on and personalize beforehand. The bangs and claps were a source of great amusement for the freshmen and upperclassmen alike.

While having their sigsheets signed, the freshmen wore specified costumes according to the theme for the day. Some of this year’s themes were “song titles taken literally” and “billboards come to life.” These costumes were only worn while having their sigsheets signed in the Cervini driveway, due to the Ateneo administration’s request two years ago that the freshmen dormers do not wear their costumes in the Loyola Schools. This change surprised Joel Gallarde, who had his OrSem back in 1998. “I can’t believe you guys didn’t have to wear your costumes to class! That’s part of the fun, because it’s embarrassing!”

The whole ARSA OrSem ritual ended with Salubong, where the freshmen were officially welcomed into the ARSA community. The freshmen were blindfolded and led out to the Cervini Quadrangle, and when the blindfolds were removed, an unreal sight unfolded before their eyes. All the heroes, hits, the dorm council members, the ARSA OrSem core team, and the other active upperclassmen were there, cheering, and in the center was a magnificent bonfire. It was there that the signature sheets, the cause of much stress during the ARSA OrSem week for the freshmen and upperclassmen alike, were thrown into and burned. “[Salubong] marks the end of the ARSA OrSem and the start of being an ARSAn,” remarked Crystal Balili, a member of the ARSA OrSem Core Team.

The hardest part about being a dormer is that you are living away from your family. The best part about being a part of ARSA is that in getting to know your roommates and batchmates, the homesickness slowly melts away. Through the ARSA OrSem, each and every freshman becomes a part of not just a community, but the ARSA family.